The present invention relates generally to mowers, and more specifically to an improved mower deck construction for supporting rotating cutting blades and drive components therefor.
Current mower decks are fabricated from steel and are heavy, expensive and noisy. Although some push mower decks have been manufactured from injection molded thermoplastics, the structural integrity of the decks has not always been as good as desired. It has heretofore been a problem to provide adequate strength in the deck, particularly in the area of the drives and blade spindles, when utilizing other than a metal assembly, and attempts to strengthen a molded plastic or laminate part to take the maximum desired loading requires expensive molding techniques such as providing a double wall arrangement with foam cores. Driving two or more spindles in a single deck increases load problems.
Fabricating present-day decks with drives and blade spindles is often relatively labor intensive. Various components must be assembled from opposite sides of the deck so that the deck has to be handled and turned at various times during assembly. A large number of parts are usually required for present assemblies.
Another disadvantage of present day mower decks is the exposure of the belts and drives to the hostile environment around the mower blades which can result in the buildup of debris in the drive belt area and ultimately result in drive failure. Also, some belt and drive components may be exposed and subject to contact. The exposed belts and drive components are also not aesthetically pleasing.